


In My Arms

by yawning_inF



Series: whumptober 2020 [5]
Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, F/M, Last Kiss, Major Character Injury, don't ask what this is, no beta yo, please
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26898931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yawning_inF/pseuds/yawning_inF
Summary: The final stand, the final touch. It was always going to end, and this is good enough. If only they had more time.
Relationships: Artemis of Bana-Mighdall & Jason Todd, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall/Jason Todd
Series: whumptober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951417
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	In My Arms

**Author's Note:**

> whumptober2020 days 4. Collapsed Building, 7. Carrying, 8. Punctured (Alt), 25. Blurred Vision | Ringing ears and 30. Internal Organ Injury
> 
> A Jaytemis drabble. You would have gotten a happy ending if only yours truly had the tiniest bit of time management skills. Sorry I guess :)

Jason is inside a building. Details don't matter. The only thing that matters is that he notices the dreadful ticking of a bomb way far too late, and that when he does he freezes up in panic.

No. This can't happen again.

A hand grabs his and drags him along, urges him to run. Faster and faster.

It's not fast enough.

They almost make it outside.

Almost isn't good enough.

Through the blinding flash of light and booming sound defeaning his ears, the hands still holds his tightly. The warmth of foreign skin against his own quells the panic rising up to his throat, so he clings to it, in a hopeless search for something solid.

The entire building shakes and starts collapsing on itself, faster than Jason can comprehend, faster than any idea can cross his mind and lead to their salvation.

It's okay, Jason thinks.

And though the time truly isn't enough for any coherent thoughts to form, it is enough for feelings.

Jason's heart is filled to the brim with regrets, but also relief.

This time..

This time, at least he won't die alone.

***

Jason wakes up to a burning ache coursing throughout his flesh like electricity. He winces as soon as his mind associates with reality enough to register the million sirens ringing in his ears, sounds perpetually high to the point of shrieks, piercing through his eardrum.

His vision provides no help amidst the darkness, only the blurry outline of what he supposes are the shattered remnants of the building piling up above his head. A small opening from where gleams of fiery light manage to seep through highlight the point where two large pieces of concrete have been slammed against eachother, shielding his head from being utterly crushed beneath the baptism of wreckage.

It hurts to breathe in nothing but dust, it hurts to try and move, when perhaps tons worth of weight -and intense strain of pain- render his muscles useless.

"Shit" he breathes out. Jason can't hear his own voice in his ringing ears, so he guesses he might've simply thought the word silently in his mind. He tries to remember something, anything, cause his mind is empty like a blank slate. His efforts only contribute to the head bursting headache building up inside his scalp.

 _Shit_ , he repeats, before unconsciousness drags him right back under.

***

Jason blinks, and strong arms are pulling his limp body out from underneath the rubble. If the arms struggle in vain to retrieve his still dwelled in corpse, Jason doesn't know. His spine and really every single bone inside him feels encased in a veil of pain, a bond blurring all other senses while its pressure builds up to the point where he can barely stand it. He knows methods to help deal with the pain but it's nearly impossible to concentrate what with the wicked gorgons screeching in his ears.

Jason is reminded of the arm securely latched around his torso in its attempt to free him of the wreckage. Trying to fish the name of the person offering help out of his memory's hazy embers proves feckless. The edges of his vision begin to fade and Jason gladly gives in to perhaps dangerous, but pleasant numbness. The sharp nails scratching his drums wither out.

Good.

He's fought through one death already. If this is truly his time to return then… well.

Jason wants to leave in peace.

***

Jason blinks and the arm is around his shoulder, trying to pull him to his feet. In blurry pixels he catches glimpse of red. Beautiful red, nothing like the horrid hue of blood, although the later still appears in sight.

Artemis.

He recognises the arm to be the Amazon's in a rare moment of clarity. Some of the knots in his brain are untangled, but the pain feels to be spreading to every single piece and bit of his being, he can barely breathe in short and sharp intakes of air that don't quite fill up his lungs.

Artemis is still trying to get him to stand upright by supporting his body and letting him lean onto her but putting even the slightest pressure on his legs is impossible.

Artemis sends him an as always perfectly composed look, expertly hiding all the uncertainty and worry right beneath. She tells him something. Jason can't hear her words, his ears refuse to welcome any other sound other than painfully high pitched ringing.

Yet if he has to guess, she's asking whether he can walk.

Jason doesn't need to question it twice.

He can't walk, he can't even stand. His legs don't respond to his demands.

So he gathers all his strength. He tells her exactly that through gritted teeth, and passes out right after.

***

The next time Jason regains consciousness he wakes up to a warmth spreading all over his left flank, a pleasant change to the constant reminder of excruciating pain.

It soon registers that he's being carried in someone's arms strong arms, and those arms can only belong to Artemis. Honestly, he'd be lying to himself if he insisted that he hasn't fantasized of feeling her taut muscles on his skin, he just wishes the circumstances were a little more… ideal.

He chooses to revel in her comfort for a bit, as it does wonders to soothing the ache in his flesh and bones. Saying he doesn't feel well would be an understatement. Jason feels as if his spine is in the process of being ripped out of his back, yet no mercy is shown in letting him sleep either.

He'd much rather drift off again, where the tremors of pain are duller. But he can't. Artemis might need his help.

He has to wake up. Fully.

When he opens his eyes he's blinded by the unyielding midday sun, as it's reflected on the gigantic sand hills of the desert. He doesn't think he remembers which desert they're crossing, or why.

As he tries to rely more and more on his senses, he notices how Artemis' walk isn't steady, and how she stumbles regularly in the short time he's conscious.

He begins to hear her silent grunts, and how she's panting while carrying him in her arms. He wants to speak to her and tell her to lower him down until she regains her strength.

He can't, because every time she stumbles forward he can only concentrate on the excruciating pain tearing open his chest. When she abruptly shifts him in her arms to not fall, Jason begins coughing and the force grazes and bruises his shattered bones even further.

Along with bile and phlegm blood rises up to his throat. The bitter taste of iron floods his senses and when the sharp pain of being lowered to the ground registers he struggles to roll to the side, so as to not choke in his insides pouring out of him.

Jason's not exactly well, to understate the issue. He supposes he has many broken or fractured bones and he's most likely bleeding internally.

Artemis collapses next to him, just as his esophagus stops guiding fluids that should have stayed inside, to his mouth.

Jason can barely breathe. Artemis is clutching her side, and he sees with an apathy that only the inevitability of death brings that she's bleeding out next to him.

A sharp piece of shrapnel is embedded in her flank.

They both don't have long. Nobody's going to find them in time. They're living the last moments of their life.

"Princess" Jason mumbles. It's the best he can do. Jason kinda likes the thought of it being the last thing he'll ever say. Not ideal. But acceptable.

Artemis turns slowly to face him. Perhaps they have just a little more time. She smiles dizzily and bitterly, but even so Jason is content with it being the last sight his eyes ever see.

His vision begins to fade as they hold eachother's gaze for what feels like eons, sharing every unspoken word that will forever be concealed beneath their ribcage.

Right before the end, Artemis leans in, and plants a tender kiss on his lips. Jason melts into it, savoring its mellow warmth.

Death finds them in eachother's arms.

Night comes, and the wind blows the sand over their bodies, slowly covers their entwined hands.

For Jason, she was the best last thing he could have ever held.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! (I hope my typos were not too bad cause I made a lot and never proofread)


End file.
